Shrimp scampi is a delicious Italian-American dish that typically consists of shrimp sautéed in garlic, butter, and white wine. It’s often served over linguine or spaghetti. While shrimp scampi is relatively low in carbs compared to pasta or bread, many people on low-carb or keto diets wonder exactly how many net carbs are in a serving of shrimp scampi.
Net carbs refer to the total carbohydrates in a food minus the fiber and sugar alcohols. Fiber and sugar alcohols are indigestible, so they don’t count toward your daily carb intake on low-carb diets like keto. By subtracting fiber and sugar alcohols from total carbs, you get the net carbs, which is the number you want to keep track of.
The number of net carbs in shrimp scampi can vary greatly depending on the specific ingredients and portion sizes. Factors like the type of pasta, amount of pasta versus shrimp, and any added ingredients like breadcrumbs or flour will affect the carb count. Luckily, there are easy ways to modify traditional shrimp scampi recipes to be lower in carbs.
Net Carbs in Shrimp
Let’s start by looking at the main protein component of shrimp scampi – the shrimp itself:
| Serving Size | Total Carbs | Fiber | Net Carbs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 oz (85g) shrimp, cooked | 1g | 0g | 1g |
As you can see, shrimp on their own are very low in carbohydrates and contain zero fiber. A 3 oz serving of cooked shrimp has just 1g of net carbs. This makes shrimp a keto-friendly protein source.
Net Carbs in Pasta
Traditional shrimp scampi recipes call for linguine or spaghetti pasta. Of course, pasta is high in carbohydrates, with a substantial portion coming from net carbs:
| Serving Size | Total Carbs | Fiber | Net Carbs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 cup cooked spaghetti | 43g | 2g | 41g |
| 1 cup cooked linguine | 44g | 2g | 42g |
One cup of cooked spaghetti or linguine contains over 40g net carbs, which would use up almost all of your daily carb allowance on keto. Limiting your portion size to 1/4 or 1/2 cup pasta can help reduce carb intake.
Net Carbs in Other Shrimp Scampi Ingredients
Beyond shrimp and pasta, traditional shrimp scampi recipes include ingredients like butter, olive oil, garlic, lemon, white wine, and parsley. These ingredients are very low in carbohydrates:
| Ingredient | Serving Size | Total Carbs | Fiber | Net Carbs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butter | 1 tbsp | 0g | 0g | 0g |
| Olive oil | 1 tbsp | 0g | 0g | 0g |
| Garlic | 1 clove | 1g | 0g | 1g |
| Lemon juice | 1 tbsp | 1g | 0g | 1g |
| White wine | 1 oz | 1g | 0g | 1g |
| Parsley | 1 tbsp chopped | 0g | 0g | 0g |
Garlic, lemon juice, and white wine contribute negligible net carbs in typical serving sizes. Herbs like parsley are zero carb. The fats from butter and olive oil are also zero net carb.
Net Carbs in Breadcrumb Toppings
Some shrimp scampi recipes call for topping the dish with breadcrumbs before baking. Since breadcrumbs come from bread, they can add a significant number of net carbs:
| Serving Size | Total Carbs | Fiber | Net Carbs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs | 19g | 1g | 18g |
| 1/4 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs | 18g | 2g | 16g |
A 1/4 cup serving of breadcrumbs adds around 15-20g net carbs. To make shrimp scampi lower carb, opt for a breadcrumb-free recipe.
Net Carbs in Flour Coatings
Some recipes coat shrimp in flour before sautéing. All-purpose flour contains about 20g net carbs per 1/4 cup serving. To avoid this extra carb load, choose recipes that skip the flour coating.
How to Make Shrimp Scampi Lower Carb
Here are some simple substitutions to reduce the net carbs in shrimp scampi:
– Use “zoodles” instead of pasta. Zucchini noodles or other vegetable noodles make a great pasta substitute.
– Try cauliflower rice instead of pasta. Riced cauliflower contains under 5g net carbs per cup.
– Skip the breadcrumb topping. A keto-friendly alternative is crushed pork rinds.
– Avoid flour coatings on the shrimp. Stick to just shrimp seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic.
– Limit your portion size of pasta to 1/4 or 1/2 cup. Load your plate up with extra shrimp and vegetables instead.
– Choose whole wheat or high fiber pasta varieties. These have slightly fewer net carbs than regular white pasta.
Making these swaps helps reduce the total net carbs substantially while still delivering the classic flavors of shrimp scampi.
Net Carbs in a Low Carb Shrimp Scampi Recipe
Here’s an example breakdown of net carbs for a keto-friendly shrimp scampi recipe:
| Ingredient | Serving | Net Carbs |
|---|---|---|
| Shrimp | 6 oz | 3g |
| Olive oil | 1 tbsp | 0g |
| Garlic | 2 cloves | 2g |
| Lemon juice | 1 tbsp | 1g |
| White wine | 2 oz | 2g |
| Parsley | 1 tbsp | 0g |
| Butter | 1 tbsp | 0g |
| Zucchini noodles | 1 cup | 4g |
| Totals | 12g |
As you can see, using zucchini noodles instead of pasta helps keep the net carbs to around 12g total for a reasonable 6 oz serving. This makes it easy to fit shrimp scampi into a low carb diet.
Conclusion
Traditional shrimp scampi recipes can contain over 40g net carbs from the pasta alone. However, with some simple low carb swaps like using vegetables instead of pasta, you can enjoy shrimp scampi on a keto diet. Focus on increasing the ratio of shrimp to pasta, limiting any breadcrumb toppings, and choosing lower carb vegetables. This allows you to get a reasonable serving of shrimp scampi for under 15g net carbs. So go ahead and satisfy that shrimp craving without going over your carb limit!
